Summary
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1.
A Dopa-medication leads sometimes in Parkinsonian patients to a psychosis.
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2.
The diminished capacity of striatal dopaminergic neurons to store DA leads to a storage of DA in serotoninergic or noradrenergic neurons.
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3.
Extrastriatal noradrenergic and/or serotoninergic neurons are involved.
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4.
Dopaminergic receptors of the striatum are not involved because of a lack of kinetic response after L-Dopa application in Parkinsonian patients with akinetic crises.
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5.
Extrastriatal dopaminergic receptors or DA as “false transmitter” at serotoninergic receptors seem to be responsible for the production of psychotic symptoms, whereas noradrenaline is not responsible.
Psychotic symptoms can be imagined to be triggered by a contact of a transmitter to a non specific receptor.
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References
Aghajanian, G. K.: Serotonin and Behavior (Barchas, J., Usdin, E., eds.), p. 162. New York-London: Academic Press. 1973.
Bernheimer, H., Birkmayer, W., Hornykiewicz, O., Jellinger, K., Seitelberger, F.: Brain dopamine and the syndromes of Parkinson and Huntington. Journal of the neurological Sciences20, 415–455 (1973).
Birkmayer, W., Neumayer, E.: Die Behandlung der Dopa-Psychosen mit L-Tryptophan. Nervenarzt43, 76–78 (1972).
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Birkmayer, W., Riederer, P. Responsibility of extrastriatal areas for the appearance of psychotic symptoms (Clinical and biochemical human post-mortem findings). J. Neural Transmission 37, 175–182 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01663632
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01663632